I can't imagine the entire Predator or Lightning, or potentially even Penguin or Blackhawk fanbases will return. In places like Canada and most Northeast US cities, a return will be a certainty. But in others, with fanbases in a growing stage, filling the building nightly could be extremely difficult.

I'd also agree with this and Backer's comment. This seems to be the kind of sport that is only hot in cities that have a team. And even then, a lot of teams seem to have issues selling out night after night and growing their fanbase. I live in Cleveland, and even when the Browns are doing awful, football is still the biggest sport in this town. Also, the NFL is the top sport in this country due to the fact that they have gained fans in cities that have no team. I don't know if Hockey is like that at all.